Reflections Part Two – The Winds Of Change Are Coming!

Well here we are again; I hope this finds you in good health with your hearts and minds open to the idea that you really are capable of being whatever you wish to be!

Thank you for taking the time to join me, I do appreciate it and please do send me your thoughts and comments!

I think that I have had an interesting and fulfilling life thus far, nothing that was notably famous or spectacular but I have survived most of what life has thrown at me (Both Good and Bad). I am thankful for the love and support of my rather large and ever-expanding family! and in addition have the great fortune to have a valued circle of friends that know me really well, despite which they still like me!

Being a Father is probably the greatest gift that was ever given to me, even if I didn’t always appreciate or understand that in my younger days. I often advise my children (who are now parents themselves), to make the most of every moment with their children. Life is relatively short and time goes by so quickly – Make every effort to keep their drawings in scrapbooks, take lots of photographs and videos. This is so easy to do these days with modern smart-phones and tablets.

They will become the memories that will be so important a little way down the road, a legacy for your children and grandchildren. So much better than a few old soiled photo’s that were the best that previous generations had to offer.

Try to imprint this on your mindset, it is so easy to get distracted with the ever-present ‘time restraints’ and distractions associated with building Career’s, housework chores, social media , various life events and of course television.

Although I really appreciate those times to be alone (not by shutting myself in, but by shutting distractions out) I am able to take stock and consider the course of my life’s direction. Something which I find is valuable in terms of self checking and monitoring my results. It is my life’s journey and invariably a few course corrections are needed to correct the errors of my ways. I would recommend to anyone, to do this on a regular basis; You don’t literally have to lock yourself away! any peaceful environment such as a woodland , countryside park or coastal retreat can provide freedom from distraction’s. Switch the phone off and take a journal to record and ponder your thoughts.

I am essentially a ‘people’ person and have always been genuinely interested and fascinated by other people’s endeavours and their stories. I have been blessed with a natural tendency to help others where I am able to do so and actively try to ensure that I never pre-judge anyone as Eminemsays “I don’t care if you are black , white , straight , bisexual , gay , lesbian , short , tall , fat , skinny , rich or poor. If you’re nice to me I will be nice to you! – Simple as that.” I know that this is how very young children are; they don’t make preconceived judgements about other children. It is only as they grow up that their outlook quickly changes, particularly with the prejudices demonstrated by their peers. I am not afraid to admit that I appear to have retained the view of a child in respect my natural acceptance of my fellow human beings. Some would say that this is naive and have serious misgivings. However, I would argue that overall this particular philosophy has stood me in good stead.

Needless to say, I have made mistakes in the past and have left myself open to abuse and ill-treatment, definitely suffering as a result. Like most people I have also made some pretty dreadful decisions in the past and occasionally hurt others (usually those that were closest to me). It always happened when I discarded decent values and placed my own needs first, instead of taking the time to think things through and consider the inevitable outcome of my actions. However, whilst I sincerely regret those episodes in my life I have thankfully learned that we should never carry the past mistakes and regrets like giant boulders on our shoulders but rather to accept and learn to use those incidents and events as a series of ‘paid for’ lessons in this great University of Life. A fundamental key to inner peace is to truly accept the past and acknowledge its presence within you and that it can (If you so desire) contribute to your future well-being. Be thankful, for that which you already possess, for life’s adventure. A life that is full of contrasts good and evil, failures and success. Remember you are truly unique, this is your life and you can choose to change its direction and purpose and enrich your life beyond your wildest expectations.

To advance yourself to the position you want and desire in life, you need to take action to acquire the skills needed to reach those goals. To help your self-development, you will need to learn how to mentally weigh-up the important decisions that will ultimately guide you to your destination. There are major factors in successfully achieving this (Usually referred to as ‘Keys’) and I will be taking a look at these in detail over the coming weeks.

In the meantime, if you are seriously interested in considering what self-development can do for you, whether it is to achieve true self value and esteem or to dramatically increase your financial worth, maximizing your true potential and profiting from the opportunities and potential that will undoubtedly come as a result of your endeavours; then you need to take action and commit to a lifelong program of mindful excellence and become the master of your own destiny.

This is not one of those ‘Get Rich Quick’ schemes or push button programs promising unrealistic returns. It will take you out of your comfort zone and it will definitely be hard work at times. But I give you my personal guarantee that you if you put in the effort and sincerely apply yourself, the results will be amazing and measurable in a relatively short space of time – far beyond your imagination!

In my next blog I will take an exploratory look at what makes us tick! ; And whether we should consider improving or changing anything.

Daily Disciplines Determine Destiny!

Begin to make changes – Think about your philosophy i.e. that which you already know!

Read a current book or article connected to your interests or ambitions.

Remember, don’t be a Cynic – NOBODY ever erected a statue to a CYNIC!

Learn to become a committed student and not a follower, empower yourself and take control.

Thank you once again for joining me today and I really would appreciate your observations, so please do comment, or email me personally at jonathan@arete-publishing.com.

I am finding that as I continue to read the blog I am discovering things about myself that I have tried to shut out. I am a parent & very young grandparent & your points of making mistakes ring true with me…. I too have had to make some difficult choices & reading that the generation before & most probably the next do so has strangely put a smile on my face. !! On a separate note I have taken up a new hobby to set myself some development goals.